Automatic train pipe connecter



Original Filed July 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORI MW VM 'ATTORNEY5 1 11933. J. ROBINSON 11,920,279

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER Original Filed July 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

M I ka "M 10M ATTORN EY$ Patented Aug. 1, 1933 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC TRAI N PIPE CONNECTER Joseph Robinson, NewYork, N. Y.

Application July 16, 1930, Serial No. 468,434. Renewed October 21, 1932 11 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic train pipe connecters, and more particularly to the. means for supporting such connecters from the car for free universal movement. To protect the connecter when car couplers slip by it has been found to be desirable to so construct the supporting means as to permit the 'connecter head and body to move to an angle of approximately 90 to the longitudinal direction of the railroad track. While this advantage is present in some of the constructions covered by certain of my copending applications, it has not been accomplished with a support in which the lower end or base of the supporting bracket is perforated longitudinally of the connecter, the perforation being partly occupied by a trunnion or anchor device on which is pivotally mounted the tie rod of the connecter support. In the previous constructions that are somewhat like the present invention, the point of connection between the tie rod and the trunnion lies so far forward in the opening that thetie rod cannot pivot *to a 90 angle to the railroad track; It is most desirable that the tie rod shall so pivot, as other- Wise the connecter cannot swing laterally a sufficient amount to protect it against damage when car couplers slip :by, as they frequently do.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automatic connecter having my improved support;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional-detail through the universal joint comprising my improvement. In this view the connector is shown in the coupled position;

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of the construction shown in Figure 2, with the connecter coupled;

:Figure 4 is a front view of the construction.

shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 71s a rear view thereof, and

Figure '6 is a plan view of the base of the bracket :showing the tie rod 19 turned at a right angle to the longitudinal direction of the :connecter.

It will be understood that any type of automatic connecter head may be used with my improved support. .I show a wing type head A suitably connected toxthe hollow forward end of the body member or yoke B as by pressing 'thehead-thereonas shown or otherwise securing it thereto. vIn the hollow forward .end of the yoke I -removably mount a gasket carrying conduit C. The-conduit is suitably attached to the train :pipe :hose -8, land. may, if desired, be formed integral with the yoke .13. The yoke includes spaced members or straps 9 which terminate at their rear portions in a vertically disposed flange or spring seat 10, the width of the straps being considerably increased at their point of connection with the flange 10 as shown at 11, the purpose of which arrangement will presently appear. A suitable bracket D, secured to a fixed part of the car in any desired manner as by a lug F on the bottom of the car coupler (not shown) is provided at its lower rectangularly shaped end with a perforated base or block 12 which extends from above downwardly between the straps 9 and normally rests in engagement with the flange 10. The vertical sides 15 of the base 12 are adapted to be engaged by the inner surface of the portions 11 of the'straps 9 to prevent undue rotation of the coupling head when the connecter is in the normal uncoupled position shown m Fig-' urel. Mounted in the perforation 16 of the block or base 12 of the bracket is a clevis or link 17 the rear portion of which is round in cross section, as shown, and forms a trunnion for the perforated forward end, or head 18, also round in cross section, of the tie rod 19. The clevis is provided with laterally extending lugs ordogs 20 which preferably lie in the vertical plane. These lugs rest within countersunk seats or grooves 21 formed in the front side of the base or block 12 of the bracket D and lock the clevis r in place. It will be understood that the clevis 17 is assembled into the head 1.8 of the tie rod before it is mounted in the base 12 of the bracket, and that theperforation 16 is sufficiently wide laterally to permit the head of the tie rod to be Y passed therethroug-h-see especially Figures 2 and 3. It will also be noted that the portions 22 of the clevis lie in complementarily shaped op positely disposed grooves or ways 23 formed in the inner walls of the opening 16. This arrangement prevents lateral movement of the clevis with respect to the bracket when the connecter head A and the body or yoke B are moved to extreme lateral positions, as occurs when car couplers slip by. The spring E, acting on the tie rod 19, holds the anchor device in its seat in the bracket. This device 17 extends rearwardly of the bracket a sufficient distance to permit the tie rod and the body 13 to turn to a position approximately at a right angle to the longitudinal direction of the connecter as shown in Figure 6, the body .B being omitted in this figure.

To bring the body B to its proper verticalposition with respect to the bracket, I provide the latter on its rear face with lugs or guides 26 having an inclined outersurface. These guides enter the opening 14 in the flange 10 when the connecter uncouples and properly positions the body B withrespect to the bracket. A suitable buffer spring E surrounds the tie rod 19 and rests within and upon the annular-seat 24 formed on the rear side of the flange 10. Atits rear end thespring is supported on and anchored to the tie rod by an adjustable nut or abutment 25, and is always under sufiicient initial compression to hold the coupling head A and the body B in the normal horizontal position shown in Figure 1. 7

It will be observed, particularly in Figures 2 and 3, that the opening in the flange 10 isconsiderably greater in diameter than the width or the tie rod 19. This arrangement permits the rear end of the body B to move vertically a considerable extent without any vertical or pivotal movement of the tie rod 19 when the connecter is coupled. During such movement of the body the forward coils .of the spring flex accordingly. Thus the body B and the coupling head A may be said to float on the forward coils of the spring E. Thearrangement produces a support which is extremely'sen'sitive to the vertical and lateral movements of thecar and which minimizes wear on the tie rod 19 and the clevis 17 by minimizing the relative movement of these parts.

What I claim is: I

1. An automatic train pipe connector comprising in combination a coupling head, a hollow member extending rearwardly therefrom, a bracket extendingfrom above said member downwardly into the hollow thereof, said lower portion of the bracket'bein'g perforated, said member being adapted to move vertically relative to the lower end of said bracket when said connecter is coupled, an anchor device in the perfotie rod assembly anchored in said opening and provided with means for positioning them in the opening, means on the rear of said bracket for guiding said member into place as the connecter uncouples, an abutment on the rear end of said tie rod, and a spring interposed between said abutment andthe rear'end of saidmember to yieldingly suspend said coupling head and said member. 3. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination a coupling head, a bracket connected with a fixed part of the car and extending downwardly therefrom andfhaving at its lower end a perforated block, a tie rod, an anchor device in said perforation and engaging said tie rod and extending rearwardly out of said perforation a suificient extent to permit the tie rod to swing to'a position substantially parallel to the plane of the rear face of said bracket, a member' extending from said coupling head rear Wardly and spanning said block and having a part adapted to engage the rear face of the block, and a spring surrounding said tie rod and bearing: against said part.

4, In an automatic train pipe connector, the combination of a base having an opening near the lower end thereof, a trunnion rigid with said base and extending transversely of said opening, a coupling head, means for supporting the same in front of said base, said supporting means extending to the rear of said base and normally engaging the rear side thereof, a tie rod engaging a part of said trunnion and extending rearwardly of said..base, the part of said trunnion which is engaged by said tie rod being arranged rearwardly of the rear side of the bracket, whereby said tie rod is capable of movement on said trunnion to a position approximately at a right angle to the longitudinal direction of the connecter.

5. In an automatic train pipe connecter, the combination of a car coupler, a bracket rigidly secured to said coupler and having an opening at its lower end, a trunnion in said opening and rigid with said bracket, said trunnion extending rearwardly outof said opening, a tie rod arranged at the rear of said bracket and extending loosely into said opening and pivotally surrounding said trunnion, the point of contact of said tie rod and trunnion being behind the rear face of said bracket, a coupling head, a member spanning said bracket for supporting the head, said member including a part which normally engages a side of the bracket to prevent undue rotation of the coupling head,-and a coiled spring surrounding said tie rod and yieldingly sustaining saidmember and said coupling head, said mem ber and said coupling head and said tie rod being capable of moving relative to said bracket to a position approximately at a right angleto the longitudinal direction of said connector.

-6. An automatic train pipe 'connecter comprising in combination a coupling head, a bracket having a seat at its lower end and an opening through its lower end a wall of which opening is provided with a groove, a trunnion device mounted in the opening in said bracket and having portions which snugly occupy said seat and said groove, said trunnion extending rearwardly out of said opening, a tie rod pivotally mounted on said trunniondevice, a member extending from saidhead rearwardly past said bracket, and a coiled spring surrounding said trunnion and engaging 'said member to yieldingly support said coupling head.

'7. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising in combination a coupling head, a bracket having at itslower end an opening, amember extending rearwardly from said head and spanning said bracket, a trunnion anchored in the opening in said bracket and positioned between the walls of said member, said trunnion extending rearwardly out of said'opening, an abut ment on said tie rod, and a spring interposed between said abutment and the rear side of said member to yieldingly support the coupling head,

spring carried by said tie' rod andengaging said member, the point of contact between said anchor device and tie rod being positioned rearwardly of the bracket, whereof said tie rod may pivot laterally to a position at right angles to the longitudinal direction of theconnecter.

9. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising, in combination, a coupling head, a bracket having an opening adjacent its lower end, a member connected to said head and having spaced portions extending rearwardly and arrangedon opposite sides of said bracket, said bracket having a recess on each side of said opening, a U- shaped anchor device arranged in said opening and extending rearwardly of the bracket, the ends of the arms of said anchor device being mounted in said recesses, a tie rod pivotally engaging said anchor device and extending rearwardly of the bracket, a coiled'spring carried by said rod and engaging said member, the point of pivotal contact between said anchor device and tie rod being positioned rearwardly of the bracket, whereby said tie rod may pivot laterally to a position at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the connecter.

10. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising, in combination, a coupling head, a head supporting member extending rearwardly from the head and having spaced portions, a bracket extending from above said member downwardly between said spaced portions, said member being adapted to move vertically relative to the lower end of said bracket when-said head is coupled to a mating head, an anchor device supported on the lower part of said bracket between said spaced portions of the head supporting member, a tie rod pivotally engaging said anchor device, and a spring carried by said tie rod and engaging said member to yieldingly extend said coupling head in front of the bracket.

11. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising, in combination, a coupling head, a head supporting member extending rearwardly from the head and having spaced portions, a bracket extending from above said member downwardly between said portions, said member being adapted to move vertically relative to the lower end of said bracket when said head is coupled to a mating head, said bracket adjacent its lower end having bearing portions, a U-shaped anchor device engaging said bearing portions on the bracket and extending rearwardly thereof, a tie rod pivotally engaging said anchor device and extending c rearwardly of the bracket, and a spring carried by said tie rod and engaging said head supporting member.

JOSEPH ROBINSON. 

